Gildiana Sosa was full of life she had a familiar face to some of you who have followed her story. The last months of her life played out on the news because of her therapies and surgeries to try and treat her brain cancer. At the young age of 6, Gildiana Sosa said goodbye.

“She was always happy so I want happiness to all the kids in the world,” said Diana Hislop, Gildiana’s mother.

But her memory lives on in the Gildiana Sosa Foundation.

A new office may just be four walls now, but the space in an office building in Hialeah is the new home of the Gildiana Sosa Foundation headed Hislop.

“She would be so happy and so proud,” said Hislop who knows too well the kind of support families need as they watch their children battle cancer. “I want to help them out with mortgage with rent with phone bills with medical expenses. Sometimes they lose their jobs. They don’t have a helping hand. We want to be there for them whatever they need.”

That way they can be there when their children need them the most.

“The most important thing is for the parents to be with their kids. They are the best moments. They are the best moments ever that they will never forget. I will never forget,” said Hislop.

To donate, log on to www.gildiana.org

Sean Beard’s doctor says the 26-year-old suffered kidney failure after smoking Spice — also known as synthetic marijuana — and was in the intensive care unit at Broward Health Medical Center for a week, fighting to survive.

Beard and his mother are using the experience as an opportunity to warn others about the drug.

“It’s definitely something that shouldn’t be on the market,” Beard told CBS 4′s Carey Codd.

Beard looks beat up — he has bloodshot eyes and bruises under his eyes. His can barely speak above a whisper. But he says one look at him should convince people to stay far away from synthetic marijuana.

“Here I am now,” Beard said from his hospital bed. “Look at me. If you want to look like me, go for it. Go to the store, go buy this (stuff).”

Beard, who was able to return home on Wednesday evening, says he bought the drug at a Sunrise gas station and admits he used it for months after battling a drug addiction. Beard says he thought it was fine to use the product since it was sold in stores.

After her son’s brush with death Gail Beard wants to warn other parents about this drug.

“It’s horrible,” she said. “I think it needs to be taken off the market completely never to be seen again.”

Gail Beard said after her son’s incident she purchased a packet of the product herself.  She said she was surprised at the colorful, fun-looking packaging.

“It looks like it’s something for kids,” she said. “It’s like a bubble gum wrapper.”

State legislators, federal drug investigators and law enforcement officers agree with the Beard’s. There have been laws in Florida passed banning some of the substances in fake pot. However, experts like toxicologist Chip Walls say the manufacturers have been able to stay ahead of the authorities by slightly altering the ingredients to keep the drug legal.

“Trouble is they’re changing (the ingredients) as fast as the government is putting them on a controlled substance list,” Walls said in an earlier interview.

Poison control experts add that they’ve seen a drastic increase in the amount of people becoming sick on the drug both in Florida and nationwide.

Another way the product stays on store shelves, authorities say, is that the packages contain a warning on the package that it’s not for human consumption. But medical experts say young people are using it and in some cases are becoming psychotic, violently ill and suicidal.

“This is deadly,” said Doctor Parham Eftekhari, Beard’s kidney specialist. “Studies need to be done on this. I think this needs to be closely investigated because (Beard) is not the only patient in the hospital suffering some kind of damage.”

A couple of South Florida cities — including Sunrise — have banned the sale of fake pot. State legislators also toughened the laws on possessing the drug by banning many of the substances used to make it.

However, experts say they are keeping a close eye on the drug to see if new variations of the drug warrant additional bans.

It is a parasite that multiplies inside a cat and has already infected 60 million Americans.

Max the cat from Miami Lakes could be a carrier.

“I do love my cats. I am obsessed with my cats,” said Anna Carabeo who admits Max is a part of her family. “They are. They totally are and you think about them all the time.”

The bad news for Carabeo is that Max could be the carrier of a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii, which if passed on to humans can control our brain.

The parasite reproduces inside a cat’s intestines. Infected cats then excrete millions of microscopic eggs called Oocysts in the soil, in water, and in the cat litter.

That’s why pregnant women are told not to handle litter boxes.  People who are infected with the parasite and show no signs.

“So it’s our immune system that really helps to control the parasite keep it in check,” said Dr. Patricia Conrad.

But now there’s growing evidence, the parasite can creep into your brain, and manipulate your behavior and cause schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

The work of Czech scientist Dr. Jaroslav Flegr takes it a step further.

Flegr discovered how people infected with the parasite develop subtle personality changes.  The organism appears to slow down reaction times and cause individuals to take more risks like crossing the street even when there is a car coming.

“I must admit I was very surprised,” said Dr. Flegr.

But why would a parasite steer you into oncoming traffic, potentially killing you?

“It wants to survive and it’s very good at it,” said Dr. Conrad who is an expert in Toxoplasma at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Her team studies the parasite in wild and domestic animals.

Conrad said since the parasite ultimately needs to get back into a cat to reproduce, studies show how it performs a pretty nifty trick. If mice are infected with Toxo the parasite goes to their brain and it alters their behavior.

So, instead of running away from cats, mice will flock to cat urine. The cat then eats the mouse and the parasite gets back into the cat and reproduces.

So how does that affect us?

Once upon a time we were potential prey for bigger cats which might explain why the parasite slows us down. It wants to get back into a bigger cat.

In the meantime, as a precaution, should we get rid of cats like Max?

“No, no, they are way too cute,” said Carabeo.

Experts say to protect yourself and your cat, all you have to do is keep the cat indoors.

If you have an outdoor cat, make sure it is fed very well and gets regular checkups.

Marie Johnson’s invention does that and it could save lives – all because she listened to her heart.

Her rustic retreat at the end of a dirt road outside of Northfield, Minn., is just about the last place you’d think would be home to a medical breakthrough. But a garage startup is where Johnson bypasses the business world.

“I believe we are going to save a lot of lives, reduce the number of widows and widowers, and little kids that don’t get to grow up with their father or mother. That’s my goal,” Johnson said.

Johnson, 44, has spent the past decade developing a handheld device that can quickly detect heart blockages.

Her company, AUM Cardiovascular, is about to launch FDA trials, which is a bright outlook for an invention born from one of life’s darkest moments.

Johnson didn’t know it, but her project began just before she and her husband, Rob, were about to have their second child.

“I just said to him, ‘I have this feeling that you are going to die and leave me with this baby,’” Johnson said.

Johnson is a biomedical engineer, and science soon supported her premonition.

“I was doing this project with the 3M Company to develop a computerized stethoscope, and I recorded all this information from him and discovered he had an anomaly,” she said.

Rob went to his doctor, but aced a stress test.

Nine months later, Johnson went to the YMCA to meet him for his usual workout.

“There was an ambulance, and a body with a white sheet. And I turned to my daughter, who was 4 and said, ‘We have to pray, because someone has died here today,’” Johnson said.

In that parking lot, police would tell Johnson she was a widow.

“I mean, honestly, the whole world was spinning, and I just, just didn’t believe it,” she said.

An autopsy showed a heart attack in Rob’s left anterior descending artery, commonly called “The Widow Maker,” because a blockage there usually causes sudden death.

In her research, Johnson knew she heard something in her husband’s heart. That’s when she listened closer.

“I remember sitting at my desk at 3 o’clock in the morning, all the lights were off, I just had the glow of my computer screen,” she said. “And I could hear God whisper.”

Faith helped her form an algorithm that could pinpoint heart problems through sound.

Johnson said just as you hear water rushing past rocks in a stream, the sound of blood rushing past a blockage is audible too, and her device picks up that current.

“It listens to patients in a different way,” she said. “Sensors pick up turbulence in a narrowing artery.”

Johnson named her device the CADence. The device fits it the palm of the hand and it takes measurements at four different places on the chest, which takes around two minutes. The information is then downloaded and analyzed.

Cardiologists believe the CADence could change the way they practice.

University of Minnesota Chief Cardiologist Dr. Bob Wilson said the CADence shows promise of replacing a treadmill stress test, because it’s easier and cheaper. He also said that its impact on medicine could be global.

“I would hope they start using it in the university emergency room, tomorrow,” he said.

Wilson became Johnson’s principle investigator.

“It’s completely one of those ‘aha!’ moments that you have,” he said.

Steve Kiemele, a Fargo venture capitalist and CFO of Linn Grove Ventures, says he’s more interested in the faith side of the story. He agreed to be one of Johnson’s three test subjects.

However, when his test results came in, they were quite concerning.

“The look on her face suggested…that [I] should see a doctor,” he said.

So he went and the doctor did a stress test, which turned up nothing. Not convinced – especially in light of what happened to Johnson’s husband, Kiemele asked his doctor for a CT scan.

Kiemele said the scan confirmed he had an issue in his left anterior descending artery (aka The Widow Maker).

He says his life was saved by divine intervention.

Johnson said God has been with her throughout her project.

“I know that we were supposed to do this,” she said.

Her husband only lived to be 41-years-old, but she thinks her invention will keep thousands of families together.

“I think he’d be proud,” she said.

In 2011, AUM Cardiovascular took the top $50,000 prize at the Minnesota Cup entrepreneurial competition, which called AUM the most promising company in Minnesota. Johnson’s company beat out more than 1,000 participants.

She left her faculty position at the University of Minnesota’s Medical Device Fellows Program in 2009 to pursue her business full time, and is now remarried.

“It’s joy, just remembering what a special guy he was,” she said.

AUM Cardiology will begin clinical trials on the CADence across the country in June. Johnson says her device could hit the market by October 2013, pending FDA approval.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but at the heart of Johnson’s work, love is the lifeblood.

“The CDC views hepatitis C as an unrecognized health crisis for the country, and we believe the time is now for a bold response,” said Dr. John W. Ward, the CDC’s hepatitis chief.

The CDC said baby boomers account for 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans that currently have Hepatitis C. CDC officials said by having boomers go through testing could get more than 800,000 patients treatment and could save more than 120,000 lives.

According to the CDC, baby boomers are five times more likely to be infected than other adults, but most don’t have any idea they have it because the disease can damage the liver for years with no noticeable symptoms.

“Identifying these hidden infections early will allow more baby boomers to receive care and treatment, before they develop life-threatening liver disease,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention.

Current CDC guidelines call for testing only people with known risk factors for hepatitis C. But, the CDC wants to implement guidelines calling for all baby boomers to get tested for the liver disease.

The CDC will publish draft recommendations for the program and will allow the public to comment from May 22 to June 8.

“It really has taken a toll on me emotionally,” said Brian Beaubrun.

Beaubrun talked to CBS4 about the accident that changed his life. He was hit by a drunk driver in Coconut Grove last spring.

“It’s bad, it can hurt people and I’m a prime example of it,” said Beaubrun. “My memory is not that well and I have problems dealing with everything from cooking dinner because I might burn myself because I might forget where I put my hand.”

He was taken to Ryder Trauma Center where he would spend the next five weeks. Beaubrun suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash. He credits his survival to the care he received at the hospital and thanked his care team during a Wednesday ceremony.

Miami Police Sergeant Luis Taborda can relate to what Beaubrun went through. He was on duty in 1998 when he was by a drunk driver. He too credited his survival to the Ryder Trauma team.

“They saved my leg. I’m not in a wheelchair; and it just serves to the testimony and the dedication of these people,” Sgt. Taborda said.

One of the biggest problems from drunk driving crashes is that typically the drunk driver suffers the least amount of damage.

“It’s usually not the drunk driver that gets the worst of it. It’s the poor victim,” said Dr. Nicolas Namias.

Since 1992, the staff at Ryder said they’ve saved 6,000 lives since 1992 all victims of drunk drivers getting behind the wheel.

It’s a constant reminder to them and everyone else that driving while drunk will not only put you on the wrong side of the law, but could put you on a path that you will regret the rest of your life.

A South Florida teen is now working with Miami Children’s Hospital on a new campaign called Bald, Brave, Beautiful – to help other children diagnosed with cancer.

Caroline Pallidine was only 13-years old when she was diagnosed with leukemia.  She says since she always had hair down to her waist, one of the hardest things was losing her hair.

Today, more than a year later, Caroline is happy to report she’s cancer free, and her hair is starting to grow back.  But she remembers what it was like not having hair due to the treatments.

She always wore a wig until she met the singer Pitbull.  Since he is bald, he gave her the courage to take off her own wig.

Then she went to a camp for cancer survivors.

“They made me realize everyone went through it and I shouldn’t be ashamed of it,” said Caroline.

That was the last time Caroline wore her wig.

Now she’s helping Miami Children’s Hospital spread the word about the Bald, Brave, Beautiful campaign.  It’s an effort to eliminate the stigma and bullying that coincide with baldness.

Doug Carillo, the father of two-year old Maya who is a cancer survivor, says it’s a great campaign.

“This mission shows them it doesn’t matter what’s on the exterior,” said Carillo. “It’s on the interior that counts.  And that you are still a beautiful person.”

Maya’s mother says even though her little girl was so young, she was aware that she was losing her hair.  She would look at her mother Erika, and her dolls, and want hair.

Recently Caroline and Maya walked the runway for the Hugs and Kisses Fashion Show to benefit Miami Children’s Hospital.

For more information, click on http://www.baldbravebeautiful.com/

Yolanda Mixon, who served in the Army for nearly 19 years, including a stint in the Gulf War, was diagnosed with lupus which eventually led to kidney failure and pulmonary fibrosis, scarring of the lung tissue which makes it difficult to breathe.

“I started out having arthritis-like pain in my joints so I went to the clinic and did the blood work and came back with lupus,” explained Yolanda.

Doctors told Yolanda, a single mother raising two children; she would eventually need a kidney transplant.

Her daughter, Lekisha Mixon, immediately volunteered to be tested and was the perfect match.

“I feel like my Mom has given me the most wonderful life, said Lekisha, a forensic psychologist who lives in Miami Beach.”I’ve never had to want for anything and this was my way of giving back to her.”

The illness forced the military to retire her after more than 18 years of service and soon her body would retire itself if she didn’t get a new kidney.

“I told my daughter and she said ‘Mom, I’ll give you a kidney’,” said Yolanda.

Unfortunately, the organ transplant was delayed in 2006 because Yolanda’s condition was deteriorating. Doctors had to wait until she was strong enough for the transplant. Doctors placed her on dialysis, a process that filters waste from the blood, three times a week. Over the next few years, Yolanda was in and out of the hospital many times, often critically ill in intensive care.

But Yolanda wasn’t going to give up. She drew from her military roots and began to work out and train for it. Six years later, she was ready.

University of Miami /Jackson transplant surgeons, George Burke, M.D., and Junichiro Sageshima, M.D., operated on Yolanda and Lekisha at Jackson Memorial Hospital on May 9th.

“With all the training that she’s done, with all the exercise that she’s done, rarely do we take the breathing tube out at the end of the surgery which was really surprising in a positive way,” said Dr. Burke.

“I was surprised myself when I woke up,” said Yolanda.

The surgery was a success and Yolanda now has complete kidney function.

Yolanda, who now works as a civilian IT specialist at the U.S. Southern Command in Doral, said she will never be able to repay her daughter for saving her life.

“My daughter gave me the gift of life and she is in my debt forever,” said Yolanda.

“Showing her that I appreciate everything and keeping her around so I can give her grand babies because she keeps bothering me,” joked Lekisha.

As more and more companies look for ways to trim those costs, they’re increasingly making it easier for employees to get moving, like Mona Jordan who works in the Human Resources Department with Broward County.

After years of sitting at her desk, almost all of her work day, Mona got inspired to join the wellness program offered by Humana at her job.

“Well, actually I was inspired by someone who sent an email. She was talking about she had lost weight and how she’d really gotten on to it. She’s about my age. She’s in her fifties and I’m thinking if that girl can do it, I can too,” said Mona Jordan.

Now Mona can move at work.

A new treadmill station was recently installed by Humana at the Broward County Government offices in Fort Lauderdale and now she can work and exercise at the same time.

“It’s great because I can actually come here and do my work or I could do a conference call. Or you know anything, or I could meet with somebody down here and be on the treadmill talking to them,” explained Mona.

The wellness program also teaches employees about diet and exercise. Another motivator are the points participants can earn to use towards shopping. Points are a great incentive for Mona to get healthy.

“You know, I’m not going to eat a candy bar, I’m going to eat an apple. You know, because you have to put it into the program every day. And you get points and then you get to buy things with the points, and I like points!” said Mona.

Research shows that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to have a heart attack. Now that Mona has the treadmill and the Wellness program she’s on her way to good health.

“I think it’s really getting you in touch with your health,” said Mona. “I’m 53-years old but my health, after I got assessed in the vitality assessment said I was 57. So, I decided right then, there are some things I need to change,” explained Mona.

Nurse Lisa Wright coordinates health education for Broward County employees. She said the entire program has made a big difference in the overall everyday productivity.

“It’s decreased absenteeism, members are healthier, claims are down, it’s a win-win situation,” said Wright. “They’re on board and they’re excited. The county wants their employees to be healthy.”

Saenz, who has a bachelor’s degree, is working on his master’s, and has Cerebral Palsy, is among up to 800 UHealth employees being laid off over the next couple of weeks.

“My administrator basically said he has no choice. It wasn’t in his hands to do the layoff. I was just on the list,” Saenz told CBS4′s Gary Nelson.

Saenz, who graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in political science and mass communications, is working on getting his master’s degree in human resource management.

He learned something about human resources Tuesday when he became among the first batch of UHealth workers to be shown the door.

“I didn’t expect it. Unfortunately, they don’t cut from the top down, they cut from the middle down,” Saenz said. “I cried yesterday after a while, because it took a while to sink in.”

Saenz answered phones, verified patient insurance coverage, and fixed computers at UHealth for five years.

He had plans to work at UM long enough to save enough money to open his own computer software consulting firm.

He said his “dream” has not been shut down but “put on pause for the moment.”

Saenz said he has to maintain a positive outlook and hope that, with the help of a state-sponsored ageny that assists the handicapped he will be able to land another job. He recognizes that times are hard for job-seekers, but had an appointment scheduled with an employment counselor Wednesday afternoon.

He said his life has been a constant struggle, due to his debilitating disease, and his layoff from UM is “another blow.”

Saenz blames UHealth’s financial problems on what he sees as the University’s ill-advised decision to spend $260 million four years ago to purchase the aging Cedars hospital across the street.

“Before you do an investment, you should take into account your employees,” he said.

UM President Donna Shalala told the Miami Herald that the cutbacks are necessary due to declining revenues, including lower payments from insurance companies, a decrease in funding for research and less money coming from Jackson Memorial Hospital, the primary teaching hospital for UM students prior to the University’s acquisition of Cedars.

“What we are now is clearly overstaffed and underfunded in key areas,” Shalala said.

Of the up to 800 employees being let go, most are administrative, clerical and involved in research. Research is taking a huge hit with more than 200 clinical and support personnel being lopped.

Some patients believe the layoffs will negatively effect care.

“I think it will be impacted greatly,” said Julie Owen who had brought her son to have a follow up exam done on his broken ankle. “When you get rid of 800 people it has to have an impact.”

Shalala insisted otherwise.

“What we’ve chosen to protect is patient services,” the U’s president said. Shalala noted no nurses, doctors or medical technicians are among those being laid off.

Customer service, it would seem, will take a hit. Among those scheduled to be let go are some 150 schedulers. Making an appointment with a UHealth provider promises to be a more difficult process.

Carlos Saenz is among those who will not be around to take your call.

CBS4′s Cynthia Demos reveals a pair of legs to viewers and asked them if the legs belonged to a 20, 30 or 40-yer old?

“How old are you Janie,” she asked the woman whose legs were on display.

“I’m over 50,” Janie answered.

She credits her you looking legs to six treatments, plus ongoing visits to the  Tripollar.

“I go to the gym, bike, walk, play tennis, golf, but it’s still 50-year old skin. It needed something. But I didn’t think there was any help for it,” she told Demos.

Janie is so happy with the results on legs, she’s now doing her neck.

“It’s making fliberblast to make new collagen,” explained Dr. Jason Pozner of Boca Raton. He is one of the only plastic surgeons in South Florida to use this device.

“When you do a facelift, you take skin that’s lousy and pull it to a new position. You do nothing to correct the damaged skin,” explained Pozner.

He said this procedure is not for people with cellulite.

“I look at these devices mainly as loose skin devices,” Pozner told Demos.

He said this is a prime example of how the world of plastic surgery is moving towards non invasive procedures.

“Every day someone comes into my office and tightens up their body like this (pulls back skin)… there are no surgeries that do this,” said Pozner.

Then he showed a “before” picture of the neck. He said, “this neck is in need of serious tightening.”

Then he showed the “after” picture. “Turning back the clock,” he pointed out.

Janie thinks so. She would not allow the doctor to take any before pictures of her. But as far as the after pictures go… after the walk in, walk out procedure that takes 10 to 30 minutes, she said “take as many photos as you like!”

The procedure costs about $300 to $400 per treatment, and you need about 6 to 8 treatments in total, as well as monthly follow-up visits. Perfect candidates are 35 to 55… have very  little sun damage and are non-smokers.

Dean Pascal Goldschmidt told reporters that no medical care givers would lose their jobs. The layoffs will impact those in administrative and research positions.

“This is really the last resort,” said Goldschmidt. “We have done everything to solve this, reducing our expenses and now the number of employees.”

The UM school of medicine has about 8,000 employees.

The UM school of medicine had filed a WARN notice with the state that the layoff date would be July 31st. Goldschmidt said the layoffs would be staggered over a period of time.

Dr. Obi Ekwenna is the chief resident in Urology and in his fifth year at the school. He’s concerned not only for those losing jobs, but also for the patients.

“It is tough, people their jobs and being laid off,” Dr. Ekwenna said. “It’s very sad, not only for the community, but for the patients. Ultimately, they are the ones affected the most.

The move comes just weeks after UM President Donna Shalala told employees that “significant” cuts were being planned at the medical school. Shalala said a huge drop in funding for research and clinical care, along with a sharp cutback in payments from the Jackson Health System, and the Great Recession were all factors in the decision.

According to the Herald, payments to UM from Jackson have dropped by $16 million in the last two years.

“I think the economic downturn is affecting our country as a whole, trickling down to hospitals and universities as a whole,” Dr. Ekwenna said.

When Dr. Ekwenna was asked by CBS4’s Peter D’Oench if patient care would suffer, he was hopeful.

“That’s the hope, with fewer people here they will still have to see the same amount of patients. It’s going to be tough and challenging,” Dr. Ekwenna said.

Both Jackson and UM were trying to put together a new annual operating agreement.

Chances are Walt Disney is rolling over in his grave at the news that the city known for the great American family vacation is now being associated with more adult entertainment and more private pleasures.

Orlando ranked in first place when Mens Health Magazine surveyed cities for the enjoyment of porn. They got real scientific about it.They tracked porn DVDs rented, sold, or streamed on the internet. They counted the number of adult entertainment stores. They even checked subscribers to soft-core porn king Cinemax and checked Google searches for porn.

Imagine getting that assignment. Imagine your surprise when it led you to wholesome Orlando.

Now, if Miami had made the top of the list it would surprise no-one. The iconic porn movie Deep Throat was filmed in Coconut Grove; in fact, the home where it was filmed is up for sale now. A few million and you could live in Porn Central.

The city is also home to a host of production companies, large and small, that crank out everything from the rankest amateur porn to slick productions, rivaling the west-coast porn industry headquartered in LA.

But Men’s Health wasn’t interested in production, only consumption, and based on that sexy South Florida could only manage to slide in at 12th place.

Behind, believe it or not, Boise, Idaho.

Even Tampa was pornier than Miami, making it in at 8th place. But of the top 100 smuttiest cities, only Jacksonville (52) and St. Petersburg (60) joined us on the list.

Because you know you want to know if your hometown is on the list, here’s the full 100 cities from Mens Health, and the link to the full article

http://www.menshealth.com/health/smut-census

1. Orlando, FL

2. Las Vegas, NV

3. Wilmington, DE

4. Raleigh, NC

5. Charlotte, NC

6. Minneapolis, MN

7. Atlanta, GA

8. Tampa, FL

9. Anchorage, AK

10. Austin, TX

11. Boise, ID

12. Miami, FL

13. Houston, TX

14. Columbia, SC

15. Dallas, TX

16. Portland, OR

17. San Diego, CA

18. Cleveland, OH

19. Sacramento, CA

20. Baltimore, MD

21. Providence, RI

22. Durham, NC

23. San Francisco, CA

24. Wichita, KS

25. Columbus, OH

26. Plano, TX

27. Manchester, NH

28. Jersey City, NJ

29. St. Paul, MN

30. Madison, WI

31. Cheyenne, WY

32. Denver, CO

33. Chicago, IL

34. Philadelphia, PA

35. Rochester, NY

36. Tucson, AZ

37. Reno, NV

38. Riverside, CA

39. Bakersfield, CA

40. New Orleans, LA

41. Omaha, NE

42. Seattle, WA

43. Milwaukee, WI

44. Greensboro, NC

45. Fort Worth, TX

46. Oklahoma City, OK

47. Pittsburgh, PA

48. Colorado Springs, CO

49. Nashville, TN

50. Phoenix, AZ

51. Honolulu, HI

52. Jacksonville, FL

53. Anaheim, CA

54. Tulsa, OK

55. Aurora, CO

56. Lexington, KY

57. Bridgeport, CT

58. Buffalo, NY

59. Portland, ME

60. St. Petersburg, FL

61. San Jose, CA

62. Billings, MT

63. Virginia Beach, VA

64. Albuquerque, NM

65. St. Louis, MO

66. Kansas City, MO

67. Fresno, CA

68. Sioux Falls, SD

69. Los Angeles, CA

70. Louisville, KY

71. Salt Lake City, UT

72. Stockton, CA

73. San Antonio, TX

74. Little Rock, AR

75. Memphis, TN

76. New York, NY

77. Corpus Christi, TX

78. Indianapolis, IN

79. Oakland, CA

80. Washington, DC

81. Cincinnati, OH

82. Birmingham, AL

83. Boston, MA

84. Burlington, VT

85. Des Moines, IA

86. Detroit, MI

87. Fort Wayne, IN

88. Chesapeake, VA

89. Newark, NJ

90. El Paso, TX

91. Norfolk, VA

92. Fargo, ND

93. Lincoln, NE

94. Toledo, OH

95. Laredo, TX

96. Lubbock, TX

97. Charleston, WV

98. Winston-Salem, NC

99. Baton Rouge, LA

100. Jackson, MS

Duke researchers found that if Americans continue gaining weight at the current pace, 42 percent of Americans could be obese by 2030, with 11 percent of those being severely obese.

Currently, 36 percent of adults were obese, or 30 pounds over a healthy weight, while six percent were severely obese, which is one hundred pounds over a healthy weight.

The biggest problem the growing obesity risk could have is on the health care industry. Being obese can lead to a multitude of health issues including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and other illnesses that could cost consumers billions.

Experts from the CDC had previously found that medical-related costs of obesity may be as high as $147 billion, or roughly $1,400 extra for obese people.

According to USA Today, if the obesity rate stays at 2010 levels instead of rising to 42 percent, the country could save more than half a trillion dollars in medical costs.

Ariste Wright juggles kids and a career. At age 48, she says that she that is exhausted.

“I’m very, very frustrated,” Wright said.

Fatigue is the number one complaint that Dr. Eva Cwynar hears from her patients. That is what led her to write the book The Fatigue Solution.

She has treated average housewives and even “desperate” ones, like actress Felicity Huffman, who was desperate for some energy.

“They know that they are no longer the person that they used to be and the answers that they’re getting are, well what do you expect? You’re getting older,” Dr. Cwynar said.

Stress, lack of sleep, low sex drive – they can all be caused by fatigue, something millions of women have. Many of them are told that there is simply nothing that can be done.

“The easiest thing to diagnose when you have symptoms of fatigue is your thyroid. That should be the first thing that anyone looks at,” Dr. Cwynar said.

Yet, she said that many doctors do not check and when they do it is too basic of a screening. She said that is why 50 percent of women with the problem are never diagnosed.

Dr. Cwynar advises to ask for a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test and any other tests relating to thyroid, including genetic ones.

“It is the God of your metabolism. Nothing else can function without your thyroid,” she said.

But Dr. Cwynar added that for the most part the doctor can step out and you can take control of fatigue on your own. You can start with your diet.

“Your hormones are highest in the morning. You need to eat to support those hormones,” Dr. Cwynar said.

She recommends protein for breakfast, but said to avoid soy products and empty calories found in white foods, like breads, rice and pastas. She also said to stay away from anything containing aspartame, because she said it can cause inflammation in your gut and lead to weight gain.

More weight equals more fatigue, according to Dr. Cwynar.

“We have to eliminate that from our diet,” she said.

To revive yourself – get sleep. She recommends seven to eight hours a night, keeping your room at 68 degrees or below for deep sleep.

She said to be consistent, and try to go to bed at the same time every night.

Speaking of the bedroom, supercharge your sexuality too.

“Sex is important for energy,” she said.

There is plenty of research that suggests sex stimulates endorphins and brings circulation and oxygen to the body – just to name a few benefits.

“All of our hormones being at their peak in the morning, I recommend as much sex as you can have, but also in the morning,” Dr. Cwynar said.

“My husband will be happy about this,” said Wright who likes what she sees with The Fatigue Solution.

“Sign me up, I told you, now,” she said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

» More About The Fatigue Solution
» Herbal Remedies
» Read Excerpts From The Fatigue Solution

The evolution of the cholera strain was expected and typical of the disease, according to the CDC. The disease’s mutation could make it easier for Haitians to suffer through the disease a second time.

Since the initial outbreak of Haiti on October 20, 2010, there have been a total of 534,647 cases; 287,656 hospitalizations, and 7,091 deaths, according to the CDC.

The CDC said the two different strains of cholera don’t appear to differ in the severity or duration of illness they cause. The CDC labeled the first strain of cholera Ogawa and the second type Inaba, with those infected with Ogawa more vulnerable to both strains.

The CDC said two cholera vaccines from the World Health Organization protect against both the Ogawa and Inaba strains of cholera.

CDC researchers said the evolving disease requires continued public health surveillance by the National Public Health Laboratory and the CDC. Both are trying to establish a lab-enhanced surveillance system for a range of infectious disease and help direct prevention efforts in Haiti.

“I was just a couple of inches between life and death,” confessed Jeffrey Ruiz, who also joined the Army.

“I was drinking,” said Barry.

“I was having a lot of anxiety. I was having nightmares,” declared Ruiz.

Offenburger added, “I had rage, anger issues, wanted to start fights with random people.”

Thirty-three year old Offenburger of Miami survived 8-months in Afghanistan. Twenty-five year old Jeffrey Ruiz of Houston spent 13-months in Iraq.

Each soldier made it home whole, all limbs intact…. but broken and tormented by their invisible wounds.

“I started having problems with PTSD and nightmares, anxiety and depression,” Barry admitted to CBS4′s Antonio Mora.

“I was on so much medication. I needed someone to help take care of me,” Jeffrey said.

Jeffrey’s wife left him and he moved back in with his parents.

Margo Bartlett is his mother. ”I got angry because I gave the Army a healthy child and then I got a broken child when he came back.”

Offenburger was in a troop carrier with 30 soldiers, when it rolled over trying to avoid a suspected IED. Barry was thrown from the truck and hit his head.

“They never diagnosed me with any head trauma,” said Offenburger.

But when he returned to Miami, Barry began to change.

“My anger was out of control. I started self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. I was no longer happy, even though I had a ton of things to be happy for,” explained Barry.

That’s because his fiance`Erika Vanderbiest had just moved in with him and she was pregnant.

“It was blinds shut, no lights in the house, I don’t want to get out of bed… very bitter and angry with life,” said Vanderbeist. “It was rough! It was a very bad place to be. Very bad.”

CBS4′s Antonio Mora asked her, “Did you live in fear?”

“I did,” she replied. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”

While Barry spiraled into a dark hole… Erika put aside her fears and found the determination to get him help.

“I’m a fighter and I love him,” she explained

Erika found help in another hole of sorts… a hyperbaric chamber.

“And I said hyper what? Ok.”

A hyperbaric chamber is a pressurized enclosure where a patient spends time inhaling 100% oxygen.

For decades, hyperbaric chambers have been used to treat decompression sickness and severe wounds, including burns.

“The presence of oxygen is how things grow and how we heal,” explained Ray Cralle, a physical therapist in Delray Beach.

Cralle explained how the chamber dramatically increases oxygen in tissue, causing your body to release your own stem cells… accelerating healing. He’s convinced it can also heal brain trauma, an often undiagnosed problem in thousands of soldiers returning from wars abroad.

“Something horrible is happening because of these explosive devices that are not being looked at,” explained Cralle. ”Their brain imaging looks different than if I hit you with a baseball bat.”

A focused brain injury such as a concussion from an elbow to the head, as was seen in late April on ESPN when the LA Lakers played the Oklahoma City Thunder… can be detected with common diagnostic scans.

But Cralle says only a Nuclear Spect Scan can detect the collection of little air bubbles in the brain that are caused by repeated exposure to concussive blasts.

“On paper on the record… 46 IEDs impacted on my vehicle,” said Ruiz about his time in Iraq. “An RPG came right over my truck and impacted the wall that was probably about 5-feet away from me. It happens so fast. You just feel the heat. And you get kind of like… just stars.”

“The veterans, their brains almost look like popcorn cause they’ve been hit in so many areas,” noted Cralle.

He showed CBS4 Ruiz’s brain imaging before his 40 hyperbaric treatments. It appeared pock-marked, irregular… like a bowl of popcorn. Then Cralle showed us the images after treatment. Those scans show a smooth and rounded normal brain.

“We flew him back nine months later to be sure we didn’t have some short-term effect and we retested him. Psychologically he even did better,” said Cralle.

Ruiz couldn’t agree more. ”I went from not being able to find my house that I’d lived in for years, to making the Dean’s list every semester since then.”

“He’s back!” exclaimed his mother. “And that’s what it took. I do believe.”

But no substantial scientific studies have been finalized to determine the effectiveness of the chambers on brain trauma, so insurance doesn’t cover the treatment. Veterans such as Ruiz and Offenburger have to depend on the kindness of strangers like Cralle, who is donating his services, and retired Marine Corps. Lt. Col. Tony Colmenares.

“You’re pretty much a true believer in this treatment?” Mora asked the Lt. Col.

“Oh yeah! I’m a true believer!” declared Colmenares. He headed a Red Cross program that paid for the soldier’s room, board and transportation to treatment in Cralle’s hyperbaric chambers.

Colmenares worries there is no way to treat the injured among the thousands of troops returning to South Florida.

“People are coming back that otherwise would have been lost in other wars. So now we’re trying to figure out… how do we take care of these invisible wounds?”

The Pentagon began an extensive study of hyperbaric chambers in the treatment of brain injury almost 18-months ago. But even if found effective, it will take years before the chambers are rolled out to treat our troops.

If Barry had been forced to wait that long…

“I don’t think I’d be here. I’d probably either be dead or in jail,” Offenburger confessed.

Instead, Barry and Erika are watching their 2-year old Isabella… grow up.

Erika said she is grateful her man got this help. “I hope it gives someone, at least one person, a little bit of hope that there is help.”

CLICK HERE to link to Cralle Physical Therapy.

The 33 confirmed patients had all undergone some type of eye procedure, including surgery or injections. Twenty-three suffered some degree of vision loss and 24 patients had to undergo another eye surgery, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health officials traced many of the cases to a dye and an injection including triamcinolone and other products from Franck’s Compounding Lab in Ocala. The Food and Drug Administration tested unopened bottles and unused syringes of the dye collected, finding multiple bacterial and fungal species.

California health officials first alerted the CDC after nine patients developed the eye infection in March. Franck’s recalled dye lots that same month. A single lot of triamcinolone was recalled on Mar. 31.

CDC officials said the investigation to identify the root cause is ongoing and warned doctors and patients to stay away from “compounded products labeled as sterile from Franck’s,” according to the report.

The pharmacy has not recalled or halted production of other sterile compounded products, which chemotherapy and other injectables.

Pharmacy officials said in a statement they have conducted a thorough investigation and traced the cause of the contamination to a dye used in eye injections of triamcinolone and formulas containing that drug.

The pharmacy says it has resolved the issue and made several changes, including hiring a new pharmacist to oversee quality assurance. It says it has cooperated with federal health officials “in an effort to isolate the source of contamination and prevent future occurrences.”

Compounding is a process in which pharmacists mix drugs using bulk ingredients. Patients usually turn to compounders when they are allergic to inactive ingredients in FDA-approved medicines. They are also used when a patient needs a different dose or a different form of delivery — such as a cream, powder or injectable liquid — than what is commercially available.

State health officials said they can’t confirm whether they are investigating Franck’s or any pharmacy until 10 days after the alleged investigation and only if probable cause is found. If they do determine a pharmacy poses an immediate threat, the agency can immediately suspend the facility’s license.

Franck’s came under intense scrutiny in 2009 after 21 polo horses died before a championship match near West Palm Beach. The horses from the Venezuelan-owned Lechuza Caracas team had just been given a cocktail of vitamins and minerals compounded by the pharmacy on order from the team’s veterinarian.

Franck’s later acknowledged using too much selenium in the mix. Florida’s top veterinarian blamed the deaths on an overdose of the mineral often used to help horses recover from fatigue.

The horses’ owners have since filed a lawsuit against the pharmacy.

Following the horse deaths, the FDA accused Franck’s of illegally creating copies of similar drugs. The agency also says the pharmacy is mixing brews outside of federal guidelines and is compounding animal products from drugs that have not been approved for use in the U.S. Officials warned pharmacies can circumvent the statutory drug approval process by manufacturing drugs under the guise of pharmacy compounding.

The FDA says Franck’s was also warned in 2005, four years before the horses’ deaths, that it was compounding animal drugs illegally. The agency warned the pharmacy again in December 2009, according to the complaint.

But a federal court disagreed with the FDA in 2011, ruling the agency did not have jurisdiction over the longstanding practice of pharmacists filling veterinary prescriptions for animals by compounding from bulk substances.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

“It all started in the 9th grade. We didn’t know what was going on,” Jennifer Schottenloher said. “We were going to the doctor and they were treating it for staph.”

But the itching, painful red blotches all over her body didn’t have anything to do with a staph infection. She was treated improperly for a year until finally she went to another doctor who told Jennifer she had the ‘hidden allergy’, she’s allergic to nickel.

The problem is a serious one. The symptoms are a rash, bumps, itching, redness, dry patches that feel like a burn, blisters and draining fluid.

For Jennifer the primary culprit, but hardly the only one, was her jewelry.

“My friend got me this ring and I’m not allowed to wear it. My finger turned green and it got really swollen,” said Jennifer.

You can develop the allergy when you’re your young, middle age, or retirement age. It’s more common in women and the problem is everywhere.

There’s nickel in watches, zippers, bra hooks, belt buckles, hairpins, eyeglass frames, coins, knives, forks, paper clips, pens, keys, tools, dental fillings, batteries even your cell phones and make up.

“Even the door knobs at school are metal and my hands get really swollen. Sometimes it wouldn’t kick in til the day after or a couple days later,” said Jennifer.

Allergy specialist Dr. Kathryn Eisermann said this is ‘hidden’ or so confusing because your symptoms may not show up for seven days and it doesn’t stop with what you wear. Foods like soy, legumes, oatmeal, chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and even tap water contain nickel. The first liter of tap water out of the faucet has the highest level.

Overall, 15 percent of Americans will have an allergy to nickel, but likely will go months or years without knowing what’s causing their problem.

Some country’s like Denmark have outlawed Nickel in products. It’s an offense punishable by prison time.

In the U.S., however, you’re on your own; but the diagnosis may not be as difficult to make as you think.

There is a test kit you can buy to see if there is nickel in a product. A doctor will do a more specific patch test on you to test you for all kinds of allergies.

That’s how Jennifer’s nickel allergy was diagnosed. Knowing the problem is having power said the doctor.

“You know what it is, go after it and avoid it,” said Dr. Eisermann.

Jennifer says that’s fine with her. After going a year without the proper diagnosis she at least knows how to control her hidden allergy one clothing item and one bite of food at a time.

“I had to throw away all the jewelry. The jewelry I love,” Jennifer said.

Aside from staying away from items or foods with nickel, there is a way to treat the breakouts and blistering with antihistamines, oral steroids or oral cortisone just in case you come in contact with the wrong item.

The grants were made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Community leaders estimate the money will help them serve more than 41,000 new patients, according to the health department statement.

State leaders and Gov. Rick Scott turned down more than a hundred million dollars in grants which were tied to the federal health care law which the state is challenging in court.

Borinquen Health Care Center, Inc., which was awarded more than $4.2 million, serves 27,000 patients in Miami every year, up from 13,000 four years ago. The majority of patients don’t have health insurance.

“It doesn’t matter to me (where the money is coming from),” said Borinquen CEO Bob Linder. “We’re there for those who need to be served. These moneys are tremendous opportunities for us that we can expand our services.”

Linder says the demand for health care services has increased in the downturned economy as the unemployed and underemployed struggle to find health insurance. The organization has 13 locations, including five schools centers, and serves about 3,000 Haitians a month. The grant money will allow the center to expand from 18 to 32 exam rooms, modernize its x-ray machines, add more dental chairs and add hurricane impact windows.

The medical home model, where patients go to one location for regular health care, can better coordinate care for the patients they know and are monitoring over time, in theory. Proponents say it also saves money by diverting patients from making emergency room visits for less serious issues.

Borinquen has an ER diversion program with three local hospitals.

Scott’s office did not immediately respond to request for comment about Tuesday’s $21 million grant announcement.

Scott and the Republican-led Legislature have rejected or declined to pursue more than $106 million in federal grant money and returned another $4.5 million for programs linked to federal health care initiatives, including cancer prevention, leading critics to say he is putting his conservative agenda ahead of residents’ needs.

“Hundreds of millions of dollars are going to other states that rightly should be going to Florida because we deserve to have our fair share of what our taxpayers send up to Washington,” said Democratic Sen. Nan Rich.

“One after the other, we either don’t apply or turn back grant money that rightfully belongs to the taxpayers of Florida.”

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Burning a permanent design into your flesh is no longer as radical and rebellious as it once was.

Ami James, owner of Love Hate Tattoo Shop on Miami Beach, says every one young and old is getting inked. ”At this point we got older ladies at the age of 75 coming in here getting tattooed. The generation gap is closing, so much so, parents are signing on the dotted line allowing their kids to brand themselves. We’re almost pushing them away. And we’re like, listen your kid is fifteen, why don’t you give them a little bit. Let them turn 18.”

Ami said it all means the stigma of a tattoo is gone.  “I can finally say people don’t look down at us and we are looked upon like everybody else.”

According to the website totalbeauty.com, Miami is the epicenter of the cool crowd. It ranked the most inked city in the nation… for every 100,000 residents. Miami Beach ranked number one with the most tatoo shops… 24 in all.

So why is Ocean Drive littered with ink? Jeremy Gutsche from trendhunter.com says it’s partly because of all that skin we’re willing to show.

“Whenever you have a culture that is beachside based like Miami or Sao Paolo you see a much higher interest that is cosmetic, whether it’s plastic surgery or something like a tattoo,” said Gutsche.

Love Hate Tattoos was once where the popular TLC reality show “Miami Ink” was filmed and it’s that recent surge in pop culture that experts say is the reason why it’s now popular to get inked.

“Over the last few years you’ve started to see a celebration of tattoos in the media whether its Angelina Jolie, the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo or reality TV like Miami ink.

“Every rock star, basketball player, football player, rapper, pop star, you name it… every one is getting tattooed,” said Ami James.

And the adoration for physical adornment hasn’t met its peak yet…SPIKE TV is auditioning tattoo artists for a new reality competition…and they came to South Florida to find potential contestants

“It’s the hardest art form out there. The canvas moves screams, bleeds, cries,” declared TJ Halvorsen of Tattoo Trends. He’s been tattooing for 7-years and sees a change in the kind of person walking into his shop.

“Doctors, lawyers. blue-collar, white-collar, I tattooed a full back piece on a priest,” Halvorsen explained to CBS4′s Vanessa Borge.

But for some, tattoos are still perceived negatively.

“I think it comes off a little dirty, a little unprofessional. Typically when you talk about tattoos the first people who you think of are these motorcycle people right?” declared one parent to Borge.

That stigma stems from how tattooing originated… as a symbol of solidarity between members of the military and prison inmates.

In 2012, the bond is among people who are inked versus those who are not. In fact, a report by the Food and Drug Administration estimated that as many as 45 million Americans have tattoos. ‘Thirty-six percent of people ages 25 to 29 had at least one tattoo. And just 17-percent of those… regret it.

“I was in Spain on holiday when I was 14 it was the biggest mistake I have ever made.” said this woman who didn’t want to give her name.

“I was 17 and I wanted a tattoo. It was ten bucks,” said another woman.

“Perhaps in 20-years or 30-years when you look back you’ll look at that butterfly tattoo on your back…. you’re not gonna be very happy that you did it,” said Gutsche.

He suggests more and more people are getting tattoos because they don’t feel it’s as permanent as you may think.

“Whether it’s through lasers or chemical kits you see in the media, they make it seem like its less permanent than it actually is,” explained Gutsche. A tattoo that cost several hundred dollars could require several thousand dollars and many laser sessions to remove.”

So remember, the tattoo trend may not be as permanent as the tattoo itself.

Tattoos will outlast fashion and fashion changes. tattoos don’t. So before you get inked… think twice.

(Photo Credit: Simon & Schuster)

Mayim Bialik wrote ‘Beyond the Sling’ to offer her real-life advice as a real mom who has a Ph.D in neuroscience. She believes in Attachment Parenting, which emphasizes strong emotional bonds between children and parents, because it encourages her and her husband to follow their intuition. This intuitive style of parenting extends beyond the baby stage. It even includes how they treat babies and kids (and themselves!) for medical ailments. Added bonus: she played Blossom Russo on the hit show ‘Blossom.’

Between our two boys, ages six and and three-and-a-half, we have dealt with just about every ailment, sickness and flu out there. However, neither of our sons has ever been on antibiotics, nor do we give them Tylenol, Motrin, antihistamines or cough syrup.

I’ve learned from talking to other moms that almost everything you have right now in your home and your heart is enough to deal with most everything. I’m not arguing to be negligent. But too often, I see children being medicated when an ice pack, rest, temporary dietary modifications and good old-fashioned TLC would do the trick!

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

General Guidelines

Never second-guess the feeling that something isn’t right.

Don’t hover, but don’t ignore your intuition either.

If you have a feeling that something is not right, check on the baby.

Present parents often have an intuitive sense of their baby’s status that translates to knowing their well-being even from afar. It’s not hocus-pocus, it’s for real!

Watch how you speak.

Phrases like, “You’re OK,” “Stop crying,” “Big boys/girls don’t cry,” and “There’s nothing to cry about” send a message that getting hurt and expressing pain makes people uncomfortable.

(Photo Credit: Thinkstock)

Top Sicknesses

Here’s how we handle the top four sicknesses most households see:

Earache

About 70 percent of earaches are NOT bacterial and do not need antibiotics. What they need is rest and treatment for discomfort such as garlic drops or breast milk (!) in the ears, or hydrogen peroxide dosed appropriately.

Fever

Fever can be bacterial but is most often viral. Fever is there to kill the virus, so give tepid baths and dress the child in minimal clothing to keep them from overheating.

Plugged tear duct/eye inflammation (not diagnosed pink eye)

Gentle and frequent massage of a baby’s tear duct (towards the bridge of the nose) and breast milk dropped into the eye every time you nurse should clear this up!

Flu

For respiratory flu, a few drops of eucalyptus oil in the bottom of a shower with hot water running can steam up a bathroom for relief from congestion; a cut-up onion wrapped in a cloth handkerchief and placed near a pillow stimulates a runny nose to get the virus out. Rest and tons of fluids are crucial. For stomach flu, wait out the vomiting and diarrhea but don’t stop it up with medicines. It needs to get out! Encourage bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Know the signs of true dehydration (dry lips, weakness, unresponsiveness) and stay close to your child to monitor them.

Children hurt for a lot of different reasons, and a parent’s desire for a child to be free of pain is universal. I implore you to take very seriously the charge given to you. Protect this tiny, dependent person not only with what Western medicine can offer you, but also with the intuition that is yours simply because you are a caring and loving parent.

Visit the Mother’s Day Section at CBS Local.

Vincent Porpiglia, the inventor of Dream Water, said it was his own sleepless nights that gave him his eureka moment.

“I was just thinking about energy drinks and how successful they were becoming and there’s tons of sleeping pills but there is no sleeping drinks, so that sparked an idea,” said Porpiglia.

Dream Water advertises itself as an answer to those restless souls who have trouble shutting down at the end of the day.

“It’s the first water that helps you relax and go to sleep,” explained Porpiglia. “It’s a product that’s relevant for today’s world where everyone is going 100 miles an hour. Work hours are getting even longer. People are stressed out from the economy and a million other things.”

We asked a local police officer, a mother and an investigator who suffered from insomnia to test Dream Water for three nights. The results were mixed.

Sgt. Henry Guzman said, ”It immediately relaxed me. Next day, I felt refreshed no issues at all.”

Karen Guzman, a mother of four and a dental hygenist, also tried it. “I took it not expecting anything at all because it didn’t taste like it would do anything. Within a half an hour I was feeling just nice and relaxed and like I could fall asleep.”

Babette Rox, an investigator for local law enforcement had something different to say about Dream Water. ”I did notice on the evenings that I drank the Dream Water that I was restless.”

While this product may promise to cut the sheep out of sleepless nights, others like Florida sleep specialist, Dr. James Kraisen, believe this product to be a temporary fix to a bigger problem.

He told CBS4′s Vanessa Borge, “Most sleep supplements people take without evaluating their sleep and that’s a problem. If someone has a specific problem with their sleep, sleep supplements do not overcome that problem.”

According to Dr. Krainsen, the way our body reacts at night is due to what we put into it during the day.

“Someone has a bad night’s sleep which can  happen to any of us. What do they do the next day? They drink a half a pot of coffee. Well they suddenly have a lot of caffeine so they  don’t fall asleep that night. So they’re tired the next day. They drink more coffee,” explained Krainsen.

To Dr. Krainsen, a sleep supplement like Dream Water is not the first think to look to for more sleep.

“If the underlying problem is that you’re taking too many energy drinks, you should probably cut down. If the underlying problem is you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you should probably get more sleep. If the underlying problem is your sleep is of poor quality, you should see someone,” said Krainsen.

Vanessa, who said she likes to exercise at night, only a couple of hours before bedtime said she’s seen an increase in her sleepless nights because her body hasn’t had time to relax, post workout. She said changing her schedule would help her get a good nights sleep.

You should always check your daily grind before taking something for those treasured “Zs.”

He created a unique health and fitness plan that helps people struggling with weight to get back on track. But the big question is does it work?

Mother of three Jill O’Malley wanted to make a change to her health and lifestyle so she decided to try the www.Getontrackfitness.com plan created by David DiPlasquale out of Coconut Creek.

The lifestyle and nutrition coach knows all too well about losing weight and changing your life. He was once obese as a child and even bullied for his appearance. So, he dedicated his life to health and fitness. Not only did he transform his body, but he has now transformed the lives of thousands across South Florida.

“I’ve always had a little to lose; nothing that I thought was any major weight loss. I never have been extremely obese,” said Jill O’Malley.

DiPlasquale said following his plan can lead to success, “There’s no plateau in this plan. It’s learning how to eat the rest of your life, keeping your metabolism alive. But we are brainwashed in this country to eat less and exercise more.”

His Get On Track Fitness plan requires that you workout only one hour a day on the treadmill.

“We have to monitor our heart rate which our heart is the most important muscle in the body. If we monitor these basic principles, we will be successful,” said DiPlasquale.

In his plan, he lays everything out for you and snaps a picture of you every eight weeks to show your progress.

Jill wasn’t too happy with her first pictures.

“It wasn’t true, no, I thought that wasn’t me,” said Jill when she first saw her pictures.

CBS4’s Jawan Strader could totally relate to Jill O’Malley.

In his first pictures, his gut was hanging over his shorts that barely fit and he had love handles popping out everywhere. Jawan never imagined that he could look this bad. H, like millions of Americans, struggled with his weight and needed help, so he decided to try the Get On Track Fitness program as well.

Following Jill O’Malley’s journey, her starting weight was 140 pounds at 50 percent body fat. Her goal, to lose 30 pounds and gain muscle.

The program requires you eat every two to three hours.

“When I looked at it, I thought you have to eat three hours a day, every three hours you’re eating and he said it’s going to speed up your metabolism and I thought, I just like to eat two times a day, I don’t need to eat five times a day,” said O’Malley.

After following the plan for almost a year, Jill is barely recognizable to her friends and family.

She has lost 52 pounds of total fat and gained 29 pounds of muscle by using a treadmill and eating right.

“It’s been the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never felt better in my life,” said O’Malley.

Jawan agrees, “I’ve lost more than 70 pounds of total fat and gained close to 50 pounds of muscle thanks to a unique plan by this South Floridian bullied for being obese as a child,” said Jawan.

DiPlasquale said, “That’s what I live for. I live for the fact that I’m changing people’s lives.”

Click here for more information about the Get On Track Fitness Program.

Now, she and hundreds of other families in a similar situation have filed a class-action lawsuit against the state in hopes of receiving the proper home care they say their children deserve: 24-hour nursing care at home.

In addition to caring for the frail and aging, a handful of Florida nursing homes also house medically fragile children. Some of them were born with medical conditions, while others were left severely injured after an accident.

Attorney Matt Dietz is leading the legal team representing more than 250 children including Andi Cali suing the state of Florida for unnecessarily institutionalizing the children. Doctors say Andi needs 24-7 care to stay alive and the state says he can only get it  –in a nursing home. If he’s cared for at home, the state would provide only a fraction of the needed nursing care. On average Medicare pays nursing homes as much as 500 a night per child.

“Nursing homes are not made for children. A parent should not have a gun placed to their head. Take less care or your child’s going to go  into a nursing home,” Dietz told Gillen.

Cali’s son Andi nearly drowned during a bath as a baby. The accident left Andi with brain damage and neurologically devastated. He breathes with the help of a ventilator. Cali’s mother feels her little boy is trapped living in a Tampa nursing home.

CBS4 News Chief Investigative Reporter Michele Gillen asked Cali, “Do you believe he should be living in a nursing home?”

“No. Never, never, never,” Cali said wiping away tears.

Cali says that for 3 years, she has been begging the state to let her to take her child home and care for him with his family.

She’s not alone. Many experts echo her sentiments.

Marjorie Evans is CEO and founder of Broward Children’s Center, a one-of-its-kind facility in the state that cares for medically fragile children. The program is designed to aggressively help them improve so they can return to their families or group homes.

Gillen asked Evans, “What breaks your heart when you go to bed at night?”

“It breaks my heart the children can go into a nursing home at three or 4 months old and come out at 85, if there’s no intervention,” Evans said.

Gillen asked Evans, “Putting a child into a nursing home to you, is akin to what?”

Evans replied, “Oh, it’s a life sentence.”

Dietz agrees.

“Children should not be in nursing homes,” Dietz said. “We have come so far to go back to a time when children are institutionalized and warehoused like goods.”

Dietz says without proper intervention and in-depth therapies children have little chance of advancing — of ever getting out of the nursing home.

“They graduate from being in the pediatric ward to the adult ward and they never leave,” Dietz said.

At the nursing home where Andi lives, his mother fills in the gaps. Andi can’t move his arms, fingers or legs on his own. His mother said her son receives 35 minutes of physical therapy one time a week.

So his mother is constantly massaging his muscles to prevent his limbs from atrophying.

An hour drive away, the rest of Andy’s family awaits him.

They’ve prepared a special room, with a heavenly touch, outfitting  the house for his wheelchair, hoping he will come home.

“I am going to be thankful in my heart forever,” his mother said of the day her son comes home.

But on most nights, Cali leaves him behind with a gut wrenching feeling as she prepares to leave him overnight in the nursing home. She places an angel in his arms and takes with her a prayer that he will be safe until her return.

CBS4 News reached out to all parties named in the lawsuit including the Florida Department of Health and the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration.

All have declined to comment citing pending litigation.

CBS4 News has learned that the Department of Justice is investigating whether the housing of the children in nursing homes is a violation of their civil rights.

Last fall 19-month-old Jayden Villano’s family learned that his heart was not pumping properly. He needed a‪ heart transplant.‬

‪Doctor Maryanne Chrisant was brutally honest with Jayden’s family about what would happen if he didn’t receive one.

“‪He likely would have died,” she said. ‬

‪But doctors were able to use a new device called a Berlin artificial ‬heart to keep Jayden alive while the family awaited a heart donor.

‪Jayden is the first South Florida pediatric patient to use the artificial heart prior to a transplant.

‪Earlier this month doctors at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood performed a heart transplant on Jayden.‬

‪Jayden’s mother, Alexa Gutierrez, says the doctor’s saved Jayden’s life.‬

“‪You’ve been there for me and him the whole way,” Gutierrez said through tears. “They’ve been so great and we’ve wouldn’t be here without them. They did everything they could and they saved him.” ‬

‪Knowing that Jayden has a new heart and a new start touches Jayden’s doctors also. ‬

“‪This is why we do what we do and this makes it all worthwhile,” said Dr. Chisant. “I do get teary about it because he’s a wonderful little boy.‬”

‪Doctors say Jayden will be on medication the rest of his life‬ b‪ut should be able to do everything any other child does.‬

‪His mother is just happy her little boy is still alive to kiss and hug.‬

“‪Our whole family is based on him,” she said. “He’s our everything‬.”

‪Doctors will keep a close eye on Jayden and they expect him to live a normal, healthy life. Doctors say his story is a powerful reminder of the importance of organ donation.‬

“Many of these children die waiting because there just is such an insufficient number of donors,” Dr. Chisant said.

David DiPlasquale of Coconut Creek battled obesity and bullying as a child. But he changed his life and has now created a program to help kids, men and women to lose weight and get back on track.

“I was always tormented for being overweight,” said DiPlasquale.

He keeps old pictures of himself as a reminder of what he used to look like as a kid.

“I really didn’t care at that young of an age, but it was in the back of my mind that I really didn’t like being overweight, but boy, I really enjoyed eating those foods,” said DiPlasquale.

Growing up, DiPlasquale remembers being picked on his size.

“Always bullied, yeah. There was always someone doing something not nice to me. And my nickname because I’m DiPlasquale, I was Depot. Depot meaning a large individual.”

DiPlasquale is no longer looked at as “depot” for his size. He used the nickname and bullying as fuel to work and study health and fitness to change his body. He would go on to win body building competition after competition. His trophies and pictures are reminders of his own personal journey and rewards of overcoming obesity.

“I was powerless you know, when I was struggling trying to figure things out. But with my brain and studying and taking in information from everywhere that I learned, I gave myself empowerment, I studied nutrition on my own, plus what I learned and created the most amazing way to get in shape,” said DiPlasquale.

His plan is called “Get On Track Fitness” and it has changed the lives of thousands of people especially kids who, like him, battle weight issues. “

“I’m trying to help young kids in schools now that was like I was when I was a kid. Changing lives, I mean crazy changing lives of young and old people that are retiring getting healthy,” said DiPlasquale.

DiPlasquale’s program includes a unique nutritional routine that doesn’t require the person to stop eating tasty food.

“It’s effortless, it’s just a plan of action,” said DiPlasquale. “There’s a science to it that I studied. But every year, I refined and refined how to get in better shape without feeling restricted in foods that we should be eating.”

His plan does require exercise of at least an hour a day walking on the treadmill up and down an incline. And it’s a program DiPlasquale believes anyone can transform their body no matter what age.

“You have to be dedicated to change your life. The older you get, the harder it is to accept change. But if you do accept change, behind change is hidden opportunity and this is where we are successful.”

DNA portraits are gaining popularity. So much so, they have been featured on the CBS hit series “CSI”. This kind of art is literally inside the eye of the beholder.

“The DNA portrait idea evolved into any kind of personalized art including fingerprints, and even art made from your lips, what we call Kiss Portraits,” said Adrian Salamunovic, Co-founder of DNA11 and Canvas Pop.   ”The first step is our customers come to our website, DNA11.com and they choose the size and the color of the artwork.

The company then ship the customer a DNA collection kit which consists of a mouth swap and a DNA collection card. Their customers swab their mouth, transfer it over to this collection card, which they then ship back to the company.

“We then take that DNA collection card, isolate the DNA through doing a series of washes,” said Nazim Ahmed , Co-founder of DNA11 and Canvas Pop.

They then use that DNA and zero in on eight specific sequences that are unique to all individuals.

“We then replicate those sequences and separate then through a process called gel electrical,” said Ahmed.

The final result is a completely unique DNA image for every individual.

“The final stage is to take the DNA and strain it and then photograph it using a digital camera. That’s the image that our designers use as a basis to create our customers artwork,” said Ahmed.

Their designers then use these raw images and apply a series of different filters on it that turn them into worthy pieces of artwork.

“We then print the pieces on canvas, frame them and ship them to our customers,” said Ahmed.

The artwork was even featured on an episode of CSI New York. Canvas Pop was started in 2009 in response to actual customers wanting to see if they could print other things than just photographs.

The artwork starts at $200.

University of Miami President Donna Shalala announced the cuts in a letter to employees on Tuesday.

In the letter, Shalala said the reductions are necessary because of a number of “unprecedented factors”, like the economic downturn of 2008, decreased state and federal funding for research and clinical care and tightening within the health insurance industry. She also said “UM is not immune from the financial struggles of our partners at Jackson Memorial Hospital.”

She said the Jackson Health System reductions have affected the school’s finances.

CBS4 News partner The Miami Herald reports Jackson Health, which has lost $419 million the past three years, cut its payments to the university by $16 million this year.

“With these challenges in mind,” Shalala wrote, “the Miller School is making changes to ensure it continues to achieve its mission of providing the highest quality health care, research and education. Changes will include a significant reduction in costs, including staffing. Reductions will not impact clinical care or our patients and will primarily focus on unfunded research and administrative areas.”

Shalala said the cuts will come in May. She did not provide details about how many employees may be laid off.

One Miami Beach woman experienced the problem first hand when she reached for her prescription in the middle of the night and realized it wasn’t hers.

Tatiana Alder was recently diagnosed with asthma. She’s uses an inhaler so she can breathe.

“I went to CVS to get my inhaler,” explained Tatiana. She left her prescription in the bag and put it near her bed. “The next day during the night I had an attack during the night. I reached to get the inhaler and then when I opened it I got a packet that supposed to go to another person.”

She woke up her husband Nate.

“I went to get the bag with the medication in there from the pharmacy, and instead of an inhaler we find a bottle of pills with somebody else’s name on it,” exclaimed Nate who was terrified.

Finding the miscellaneous pills instead of her inhaler made him furious. Tatiana was gasping for air.

“I was like okay, I need to breath and I don’t have my medication what do I need to do,” said Tatiana.

Nate called the pharmacy and asked them to bring over the right medication. They said they don’t offer that service.

Hours later, the Adlers were able to get the inhaler from a different location and Tatiana was okay.

“Thankfully she’s ok, but I was terrified for my life at that point,” her husband said.

CBS4 News contacted the CVS on Harding in Surfside just south of the shops at Bal Harbor. They admitted to the mistake and offered this statement:

“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority and we sincerely apologize for giving Mrs. Alder a prescription that did not belong to her. When we were alerted to this mistake our pharmacist contacted her immediately to apologize, check on her health condition, and make arrangements for her to receive a new asthma inhaler, free of charge.”

“My husband was the one who called them up. They didn’t call because they realized anything,” said Tatiana.

The statement goes on to say: “It appears that our procedures to verify the identity of a patient before dispensing their prescription were not properly followed during the checkout process we have followed up with our staff to prevent this from happening again.”

As of last year the state of Florida put new measures in place to require more training of pharmacy technicians and more procedures to prevent mix ups yet the standards are not an assurance and the problem is not just in Florida. Just last month the State Attorneys general office in New Jersey began a preliminary investigation into a CVS pharmacy in that state. Reports show kids who were suppose to get fluoride pills were given tamoxifen pills to treat breast cancer.

These serious mix ups with serious consequences troubled Tatiana.

“That’s pretty scary they make mistakes like that.”

The Alders hope everyone will learn to double check their prescriptions when they pick them up. As far as the CVS on Harding is concerned, the Adlers said they won’t use that pharmacy anymore.

Little is known about Fragile X syndrome, but Michelle Kaplan, mother to Matthew, 7, and 5 year old Calentcito’s mom Vanessa Chartouni de la Serna have teamed up to make a difference.

Their sons are both at a special school for kids with Fragile X syndrome.

“It absolutely affect every single day,” said Kaplan.

Fragile X is a neuro-developmental disorder that affects cognitive skills, a child’s behavior, speech, and senses.  It’s the only known genetic cause of autism.  Thirty percent of kids with Fragile X have autism.

Calencito was diagnosed at 15 months, and Matthew at 13 months.  The big signs for them were developmental and speech delay.

“At first I was devastated, scarred, confused and anxious to learn more,” Vanessa Chartouni de la Serna said.

“Everywhere I turned there were no answers just more and more questions,”   Kaplan said.

Women who carry the disorder can be tested before or while they’re pregnant. Symptoms include early menopause and problems with fertility.

If you are pregnant you often have to make a special request for the testing.

The goal of Chartouni de la Serna and Kaplan is to raise awareness for more research and a better life for their children. Four years ago, they started an organization for families affected by Fragile X syndrome. There are now 60 families in the group.

“One day I won’t be here and need to know he can be cared for,” Kaplan said.

Click Here for more information.

The Florida Department of Health reported Wednesday that 15 cases had been reported in Miami-Dade and four cases had been reported in Monroe County. Over the weekend, Broward County’s health department reported four confirmed cases; three school age children and one adult.

The DOH urges parents, childcare workers and healthcare providers to verify the children they care for are properly immunized against pertussis, a respiratory disease more commonly known as whooping cough.

Since January, numerous counties in Florida have seen a spike in whooping cough cases. That’s also in line with outbreaks that have been happening in multiple states across the countries.

Most cases of whooping cough impact children, but adults have also been known to contract the disease. The disease is highly contagious and targets the respiratory system.

Most people develop symptoms of whooping cough in a week to 10 days after being exposed. But, the disease can lie dormant for a long as six weeks before beginning to affect someone.

The symptoms usually begin with cold-like symptoms and can also include a mild cough or fever. After a week or two, severe coughing can begin. The severe coughing fits can be followed by vomiting.

Whooping cough is the most dangerous for babies. In an infant, the cough can be minimal or not present, but the disease can cause babies to stop breathing. The disease is treated with antibiotics.
Whooping cough vaccines are given to adults when requested and are part of the normal vaccines children get. You can still get the disease even if you are vaccinated, but the infection is usually much less severe.

“I was constantly exhausted. I felt like I was never able to keep up,” said Silva.

So she tried something new. She hired a Wellness Coach to help her regain control of her life.

“Within the very first session, I realized this is not about just getting exercise. It was about how do I see myself and where do I want to be,” explained Silva.

A Wellness Coach takes a holistic approach, focusing the body and the mind. They meet clients one-on-one and create an individualized health plan.

Margaret Moore is CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation. “The coach is really trained to help you take a bigger picture of you, over all aspects of your health and wellness and then come up with a formula that combines all of these things together.”

Wellness coaching used to focus on helping individuals cope with one particular disease. And Life coaching was reserved for busy executives. But now it’s more mainstream for anyone, and it’s endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Christina’s been working with her coach for two years and says her life has changed

“I’m more relaxed almost on a almost daily basis,” Christina explained.

Of course hiring the right coach is key. So ask a lot of questions about fees, what’s offered, communication, and how many times you meet.

Wellness coaches can come from a variety of backgrounds such as fitness, psychology, physical therapy, nursing and others. A national certification is underway.

A new kind of potato chip can give you the same buzz you’d get from energy drinks and they look and crunch the like any other chip.

In addition to potato’s salt and spices, they have B vitamins, caffeine and taurine, an ingredient commonly found in energy drinks.

“I think they’re trying to target the young those who are athletic or wish to be,” said Jo Ann Hattner, a nutritionist who is surprised to hear of yet another energy product.

Hattner questions whether coating potato chips with energy supplements really give you much of a boost.

“It’s what I call an image food. 70 milligrams of caffeine is really not that much, you might get that in a shot of espresso,” said Hattner.

With espresso you’d get fewer calories. The Arma energy chips, for example, come with 70 milligrams of caffeine and 290 calories. Compare that to a can of Red bull which has 80 milligrams for 110 calories. A shot of espresso offers the same boost with only 5 calories. So gram for gram, if you are watching your weight, this product may not be for you.

“We strive for whole foods as much as possible that would give the most energy over a sustained period of time,” said personal trainer Elizabeth Bachrad.

But just because they’re not for the health conscious doesn’t mean they are not for people looking for a tasty treat with a bit of a boost.

However, the product is not recommended for pregnant women and children.

“At least in Jackson it’s getting everybody’s morale down,” said Dr. Morad Askari, a plastic surgeon. “It is in some regards definitely affecting patient care.”

That is a concern hospital spokesman Ed O’Dell is trying to dispel.

“Our medical services will not be impacted,” said O’Dell. “The quality of our care, we would not compromise that.”

O’Dell said the patient volume has been declining steadily over the past few years and the cutbacks are an effort to operate more efficiently.

JMH believes it will save nearly $70 million by cutting a total of 1115 positions, some of them currently vacant, and adding in 350 part-time jobs.

“We are offering them the opportunity to come back in as part-time,” said O’Dell. “They have first choice and those people are coming to our meeting and they are signing up for those jobs.”

But union officials argue the hospital doesn’t need to get rid of as many of its full-time positions as proposed.

Martha Baker, RN and President of the SEIU Local 1991, said she is currently in talks with hospital administrators trying to salvage more of the full-time positions.

“Part-time employees come and they don’t have anything invested in to the hospital and what our mission is and what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Dr. Askari.

Most of the employees who have been laid off will work up until April 27th. After that date staff levels will have decreased by ten percent, according to JMH.

The confirmed cases were reported in three school age children and one adult. Since January, numerous counties in Florida have seen a spike in whooping cough cases. That’s also in line with outbreaks that have been happening in multiple states across the countries.

Most cases of whooping cough impact children, but adults have also been known to contract the disease. The disease is highly contagious and targets the respiratory system.

Most people develop symptoms of whooping cough in a week to 10 days after being exposed. But, the disease can lie dormant for a long as six weeks before beginning to affect someone.

The symptoms usually begin with cold-like symptoms and can also include a mild cough or fever. After a week or two, severe coughing can begin. The severe coughing fits can be followed by vomiting.

Whooping cough is the most dangerous for babies. In an infant, the cough can be minimal or not present, but the disease can cause babies to stop breathing. The disease is treated with antibiotics.

Whooping cough vaccines are given to adults when requested and are part of the normal vaccines children get. You can still get the disease even if you are vaccinated, but the infection is usually much less severe.

Since September 8, 2011 when the snails were first found in South Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have collected more than 40,000 of the Giant African snails.

State agriculture officials said this invasive species of snail eats at least 500 different agricultural crops, can cause damage to plaster and stucco on homes and though rare, can carry rat lungworm, a parasite that can cause meningitis in humans, although no cases have been identified in the US.

The Giant African land snail is one of the largest land snails in the world, growing up to eight inches in length and more than four inches in diameter.

The last reported outbreak and eradication of the Giant African land snail in Florida occurred in 1966 when a boy smuggled three Giant African land snails into Miami as pets. The boy’s grandmother released the snails into her garden.

Seven years later, more than 18,000 snails were found. It cost more than $1 million and took 10 years to successfully eradicate this pest from Florida. This is the only known successful giant African land snail eradication program.

It’s not known how the latest outbreak started, but it’s illegal to bring the snails into the US without a permit. Each snail can live as long as 9 years, and produce as many as 12 hundred eggs a year. They can grow to be 8 inches long and 4 inches around, much larger than your average snail.

The state is collecting snails when they are found, and is working through a program to use a bait called “Sluggo” to kill the snails. The bait is said to be harmless to people and pets, but lights out for slugs.

Anyone who thinks they may have them in their yard or planting bed is urged to call the state’s Division of Plant Industry Helpline, 1-888-397-1517.

The IIHS focused on the system known as Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, or LATCH. The system was originally designed with standard hardware to make car seat installation easier. Even with the LATCH system, the installation of a car seat is still problematic.

“Installing a child restraint isn’t always as simple as a couple of clicks and you’re done,” says Anne McCartt, the Institute’s senior vice president for research and one of the report’s authors. “Sometimes parents blame themselves when they struggle with LATCH, but oftentimes the problem lies with the vehicle, not the user.”

The IIHS found that only seven vehicles out of 98 analyzed had a LATCH system in the middle of a second-row seat, which is the safest place for children to travel. In addition, the lower anchors for the system were visible on just 36 of the 98 cars studied.

IIHS researchers looked at three factors in making their determinations: Depth, Clearance, and Force. Depth referred to how deep in the seat the anchors were. Clearance refers to nothing obstructing access to the anchors. Researchers said force was based on using less than 40 pounds of force during installation.

Several 20111 models did meet all of the easy-installation criteria including:

• Audi A4 Quattro
• Cadillac Escalade
• Chevrolet Equinox LT
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab
• Chevrolet Suburban LT
• Chevrolet Tahoe LS
• Chrysler Town & Country (2010)
• Dodge Caliber Mainstreet
• Dodge Grand Caravan Crew
• Dodge Ram 1500 crew cab
• Ford Escape XLT
• Ford F-150 SuperCrew Cab
• GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab SLE
• Honda Pilot EX-L
• Kia Sedona LX
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Mercedes-Benz C300
• Mercedes-Benz E350
• Mitsubishi Eclipse coupe GS
• Mitsubishi Lancer ES
• Toyota Tacoma extended cab

On the other hand, researchers found several 2011 models that didn’t meet any easy-installation criteria including:

• Buick Enclave CX
• Chevrolet Impala LT
• Dodge Avenger Express
• Ford Flex SEL
• Ford Taurus Limited
• Hyundai Sonata Limited
• Toyota Sienna XLE

Last June doctors told Fields she had a large brain aneurysm, which is the bulging of a blood vessel, behind her eye.

“What ran through my mind is that it could break and I could die. That’s what went through my mind,” said Fields.

For four months, the 72-year old woman waited in fear for her life because doctors said she could bleed to death if the aneurysm ruptured.

Given Bernadette’s family history, she had reason to worry.

“Well my father had an aneurysm,” she explained. “He died from one.”

Fields got good news from Dr. Ali Sultan, a neurosurgeon at Jackson Memorial Hospital, when he told her about a new FDA approved Pipeline Embolization Device.

It’s a small mesh tube inserted through an artery in the leg and threaded to the area in the brain where the aneurysm is located.

“We’re able to treat aneurysms that we’ve never been able to treat in a short amount of time and in a very safe manner,” explained Dr. Sultan.

Fields is the first patient to have the procedure performed at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In photos shown at a news conference at JMH Wednesday, the aneurysm was bulging prior to the procedure. After the procedure, the bulge was gone.

“What this does is it allows the aneurysm to shrink over time,” said Dr. Sultan.

The worry is over for this hardworking waitress. Now she’ll continue living her life to the fullest.

“She’s pretty lucky that we’re able to treat this with this type of stent because her particular case was more dangerous than the average aneurysm in that area,” said Dr. Sultan.

Jackson is just one of 30 hospitals nationwide now performing this newly approved procedure.

A trial is underway to make that device available in the U.S. The new pacemaker-like device will vibrate and an alarm, worn like a pager, will go off if you are about to have a heart attack.

“They’re able to read signals before patient develops symptoms,” said cardiologist Dr. Juan Carlo Londono.

Dr. Londono is the principal investigator of the “angel med guardian.”

Humberto Alvarez uses the device and showed CBS4 that it’s placed on his chest and is covered by a scar. Alvarez is one of the patients in the trial.

“With the device I feel comfort and have peace of mind,” Alvarez said.

You could compare the device to a seismometer in the earth’s surface that detects an earthquake. The device can detect tremors in your heart before the heart attack even happens. When the device goes off it signals if it is an emergency or if you just need to see your doctor.

“When they come in earlier and get treated rapidly we save lives,” Dr. London said.

Alvarez had the device surgically implanted two months ago just six months after he had a heart attack and thought he was going to die. If the device ever goes off, he’ll know what to do and hopefully never have to endure the trauma of a heart attack again.

“This is my angel,” Humberto said.

The device is approved in South America and Europe, but is seeking approval in the U.S. There are 350 people in the countrywide trial so far; 600 more people are needed.

The researchers are looking for people that in the past six months had a heart attack or severe chest pain.

To take part in the trial either call angel med at 305-858-4300 or go to www.angel-med.com.